Smith, M. (2001). Earth System Science in the Community. Armonk, New York: It's About Time, Inc.
Grade: 8
Activity 4: El Nino and Ocean Circulation
National Science Education Standards, Earth Science, Grades 5-8 Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. Oceans have a major
effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.
What does this standard mean?
Weather (in the short run) and climate (in the long run) involve the transfer of energy in and out of the atmosphere.
Solar radiation heats the landmasses, oceans, and air.
Transfer of heat energy at the boundaries between the atmosphere, the landmasses, and the oceans results in layers of different temperatures and densities in both the ocean and atmosphere.
The action of gravitational force on regions of different densities causes them to rise or fall - and such circulation, influenced by the rotation of the earth, produces winds and ocean currents.
What Prior knowledge do students need to understand this standard?
Students will need to know the difference between weather and climate.
They will need to understand density and its characteristics.
They will need to realize how temperature causes fluctuations in weather, and inevitably climate.
Also, students should understand that changes in weather and climate can affect agriculture which affects the entire world, not just locally.
What misconceptions might students have about the topics contained in the standard?
Students might think that ocean currents are formed due to the "wind" pushing them around.
It might be thought that weather and climate are interchangeable terms.
Students might think that warmer oceans are only found around the "warmer" parts of the world, or that oceans only get warm at those areas.
Part 3: Subtopic: How El Nino affects nutrients in the sea (global patters of atmospheric movement and how it influences local weather) Providing a variety of phenomena: I believe the chapter that explains and goes into the example of how the fishing industry is affected by El Nino and why it causes "chaos" has a few great examples of differing phenomena. In terms of variety, it goes into how it affects the fishing industry (depending if nutrients are driven away from the coast or toward the coast) and it relates to La Nina and how that affects local areas as well. (They specifically go into the coast of Peru geographically). Also, during this section it goes a little into the layers of the ocean and how that affects the nutrient movement. Providing vivid experiences: In the textbook there is a model to show the what the ocean looks like during El Nino (particles are shown as nutrients) and how the ocean would look with upwelling caused by La Nina. Developing and Using Scientific Ideas: Within the text book are activities that support this El Nino lesson. It specifically has activities that students can kinesthetically make models to show what happens when El Nino comes into the coast (of Peru) and what the coast looks like when La Nina affects the sea.
Part 4: Reflection
If I was going to teach this lesson/activity on El Nino, I would definitely use this textbook. I think that it is great in showing what the phenomena is and how it is brought upon. There are diagrams that help the students to better understand what causes El Nino and the damages that affect localized areas. If I was to supplement the book I would maybe show pictures of the actual world where chaos from El Nino has struck.
Grade: 8
Activity 4: El Nino and Ocean Circulation
National Science Education Standards, Earth Science, Grades 5-8
Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. Oceans have a major
effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.
What does this standard mean?
What Prior knowledge do students need to understand this standard?
What misconceptions might students have about the topics contained in the standard?
Part 3:
Subtopic: How El Nino affects nutrients in the sea (global patters of atmospheric movement and how it influences local weather)
Providing a variety of phenomena: I believe the chapter that explains and goes into the example of how the fishing industry is affected by El Nino and why it causes "chaos" has a few great examples of differing phenomena. In terms of variety, it goes into how it affects the fishing industry (depending if nutrients are driven away from the coast or toward the coast) and it relates to La Nina and how that affects local areas as well. (They specifically go into the coast of Peru geographically). Also, during this section it goes a little into the layers of the ocean and how that affects the nutrient movement.
Providing vivid experiences: In the textbook there is a model to show the what the ocean looks like during El Nino (particles are shown as nutrients) and how the ocean would look with upwelling caused by La Nina.
Developing and Using Scientific Ideas: Within the text book are activities that support this El Nino lesson. It specifically has activities that students can kinesthetically make models to show what happens when El Nino comes into the coast (of Peru) and what the coast looks like when La Nina affects the sea.
Part 4: Reflection
If I was going to teach this lesson/activity on El Nino, I would definitely use this textbook. I think that it is great in showing what the phenomena is and how it is brought upon. There are diagrams that help the students to better understand what causes El Nino and the damages that affect localized areas. If I was to supplement the book I would maybe show pictures of the actual world where chaos from El Nino has struck.